Please Help! Sick Duckling Can't Stand Won't Eat!!

[hm23]

Please Help! Any advice greatly appreciated!!

We have a duckling that hatched early with yolk sack still not finished absorbing. We assisted 36 hours after external pip after realizing membrane was sticky and stuck to duckling. After hatching left in incubator for 24 hours but had trouble drying due to sticky membrane. We were able to wash membrane off and duck has now fluffed up except for on belly where abdomen still swollen where yolk/umbilical cord was. The duckling seems lame and limp on one side of body and can't walk or stand up. Foot is curled in on both legs and will not stay open. We have it in a brooder alone now with heat lamp and have been giving brewers yeast and save a chick electrolyte as well. We have to dip it's bill in the water/food mixture and it barely eats any of it. It has been pooping but needs to be wiped off each time to prevent blocking vent since it can't stand or walk. This is day three since it hatched and seems strong and chirping but still not using one side of body and not able to stand. Any advice would be great!! This is our second time hatching ducks, last year we luckily had no issues so we are still fairly new to this. Thank you in advance!!

 

[hm23]

Please Help! Any advice greatly appreciated!!

We have a duckling that hatched early with yolk sack still not finished absorbing. We assisted 36 hours after external pip after realizing membrane was sticky and stuck to duckling. After hatching left in incubator for 24 hours but had trouble drying due to sticky membrane. We were able to wash membrane off and duck has now fluffed up except for on belly where abdomen still swollen where yolk/umbilical cord was. The duckling seems lame and limp on one side of body and can't walk or stand up. Foot is curled in on both legs and will not stay open. We have it in a brooder alone now with heat lamp and have been giving brewers yeast and save a chick electrolyte as well. We have to dip it's bill in the water/food mixture and it barely eats any of it. It has been pooping but needs to be wiped off each time to prevent blocking vent since it can't stand or walk. This is day three since it hatched and seems strong and chirping but still not using one side of body and not able to stand. Any advice would be great!! This is our second time hatching ducks, last year we luckily had no issues so we are still fairly new to this. Thank you in advance!!

 

[hm23]

 

[907poultry]

Our newest Buff duckling was like this, she had unabsorbed yolk and her left leg was lame. I checked for breakage, but didn’t find anything. She was eating and drinking, but she passed away during the night.

 

[smbanks80]

Please Help! Any advice greatly appreciated!!

We have a duckling that hatched early with yolk sack still not finished absorbing. We assisted 36 hours after external pip after realizing membrane was sticky and stuck to duckling. After hatching left in incubator for 24 hours but had trouble drying due to sticky membrane. We were able to wash membrane off and duck has now fluffed up except for on belly where abdomen still swollen where yolk/umbilical cord was. The duckling seems lame and limp on one side of body and can't walk or stand up. Foot is curled in on both legs and will not stay open. We have it in a brooder alone now with heat lamp and have been giving brewers yeast and save a chick electrolyte as well. We have to dip it's bill in the water/food mixture and it barely eats any of it. It has been pooping but needs to be wiped off each time to prevent blocking vent since it can't stand or walk. This is day three since it hatched and seems strong and chirping but still not using one side of body and not able to stand. Any advice would be great!! This is our second time hatching ducks, last year we luckily had no issues so we are still fairly new to this. Thank you in advance!!

Reply from smbanks80

Im having the same issue with one of my ducklings right now. He was born a bit early before yolk sac completely absorbed. Had to assist with hatching due to humidity issues in incubator.

I read not to give it food because it will kick start the digestive system & yolk sac will stop absorbing which could cause hernia -- belly wont heal and close properly. Treat him like a premie for now. Chicks & ducklings live off the nutrients from the yolk sac for abt 3 days before needing food.

I kept him in the incubator so other chicks wouldnt step on him (like a NICU).

I left the umbilical cord attached for about 2 days until it was pretty much dried up, then tied it off with dental floss & snipped it with clean scissors.

I bathed him in a pot of warm sterile water & used a tooth brush to help remove dried yucky stuff.

I blowdried him, careful not to burn him. He seemed to like that.

I antibiotic ointment on the naval/wound, wrapped him in a cloth & put him back in the incubator.

I put another duckling beside him for a little while, with direct supervision, to help stimulate & comfort him. Ducks are social creatures. Anything that calms & comforts the mind will help facilitate healing.

I left him to rest in the incubator alone after that & was certain he'd likely be dead when I returned to check again but (s)he lives!

I picked him up again lastnight before I went to sleep, fed him some water through an eye dropper, dripped some clean water over his eyes & face cuz he's a duck & they need that.

I pet him and tried to stand him up near the food dish to introduce him to it & hopefully help stimulate his muscles, but he just flopped in it like a linp noodle. Not good.

Breathing seems normal. He peeps when another duckling is nearby & appears content when held, pet and resting, but just keeps laying on his side, not standing up. I figure another day or so.

He may have something like spraddle leg due to inconsistent humidity conditions in the incubator. Two of our baby chicks have that. Its correctable if treated right away with daily physical therapy & brace. It just takes a few days to get the muscles where they should be. I ordered leg braces off Amazon to help with that. It'd be a shame for perfectly healthy chicks to die because of something thats cheap & easy to correct, but I dont know about having a completely disabled duckling. He wouldnt have a good life, but its hard to believe that THAT many things could be wrong with him when he's responding properly in all other ways.

Im going to start administering duckie gatorade. Its a drink mix powder specially formulated for meat birds to help them with essential nutrients & electrolytes to help their muscles & tendons work & develop properly. You can buy it from McMurrays Hatchery online. Maybe the tractor supply store has something similar if you need it right away.

We've had chickens & ducks for abt 10 years but never had to assist with hatching until this year due to issues with incubator throughout their development. Thankfully, we bought a new incubator which should prevent this problem in the future.

I still have about 30 remaining eggs that will likely need assistance. Three out of 12 died so far. I wrote a long YouTube comment about what I've learned through this experience under a video of a woman who had to assist her chick with hatching.

Many people in the comment section were frustrated with a lack of information about this kind of thing. Most resources say not to interfere but we intervened the moment we put the eggs in an incubator. Obviously a natural hatch is best but there are instances in which perfectly healthy chicks will die trapped in their eggs without assistance.

All my babies so far have been shrink wrapped. One was also breech & suffocated to death upside down with his little legs squirming because I hesitated to help because of what I read online. I feel absolutely terrible about that. I definately learned my lesson.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

P.S. In the time it took to write you this message, he began scurrying about on his side trying to move around but still isnt standing up. Progress is progress. We'll see how he does over the next few days. I'm still going to treat him like a preemie for now. Its not his fault. He didnt ask to be born or for our incubator to malfunction. As long as he continues to make progress & seems comfortable & otherwise heakthy, I see no reason to give up on the little guy!

 

[ninatt]

I have just had a duckling hatch like the above. So far alive and well. It got stuck during a breach hatch. For me a crushed up yeast tablet mixed with water and given by dropper has helped a lot. I also massaged his little feet to try and stretch them out